Works of Jules Verne/Five Weeks in a Balloon/Chapter 43
CHAPTER XLIII
A WASTED COUNTRY
If we had not taken the precaution to lighten the balloon last night," said the doctor, "we should have been lost past recovery."
"That shows the benefit of doing things in time," said Joe, "so we have escaped, and nothing is more natural."
"We are not out of danger yet," replied Ferguson in a cautious manner.
"What do you fear now?" asked Dick; "the 'Victoria' cannot descend without your permission, and when it should do so."
"When it should do so!—look!"
The border of the forest was passed, and the travelers could descry about thirty horsemen clothed in wide trousers, and bournous floating in the air. Some were armed with lances, others with long muskets. They pursued the "Victoria," which was going along slowly, at a hand-gallop.
At sight of the travelers they raised savage cries and brandished their weapons—their anger and menaces were to be read in their sunburnt faces, rendered more ferocious by the short but bristling beard. They passed easily over the low plains and gentle declivities that descend to the Senegal.
"They are indeed the cruel Talibas," said the doctor, "the ferocious marabouts of Al-Hadji. I would rather be in a forest in the midst of wild beasts, than in the hands of those men."
"They have not the most amiable appearance, certainly," said Kennedy, "and they are powerful fellows too."
"Happily, the ruffians cannot fly; there is always some consolation," said Joe.
"Do you see those ruined villages, those burned houses? that is their handiwork; and where at one time were cultivated pastures, they have now left nothing but sterility and devastation."
"At any rate, they cannot touch us here," said Kennedy, "and if we can put the river between us, we shall be safe."
"Quite so, Dick, but we must not fall," said the doctor, looking at the barometer.
"In any case, Joe, it will do no harm to look to our arms."
"That will not hurt us, certainly, Mr. Dick; we now find what a good thing it was not to have thrown them away."
"I trust I shall never part with my rifle," said Kennedy. And he loaded it carefully, for some ammunition still remained.
"At what height are we now?"
"About 750 feet," replied Ferguson; "but we have no means left to seek a favorable current, and in ascending or descending we are entirely at the mercy of the balloon."
"That is a pity," replied Kennedy, "the wind is so light, and if we had only met a storm similar to that a few days ago, we should soon give these robbers the slip."
"They are following us at their ease," said Joe; "it is only gentle exercise for them."
"If we were within range," said Kennedy, "I could amuse myself by dismounting a few of them."
"Yes; but they might also have the range," said Ferguson, "and our 'Victoria' offers an excellent mark for their long musket bullets, and if they were to tear the silk, I leave you to judge what our fate would be."
The Talibas continued their pursuit all the morning. About 11 A. M. the travelers had made fifteen miles towards the west.
The doctor scanned the smallest cloud on the horizon. He feared a change. If they should happen to be driven towards the Niger, what would become of them? Moreover, the balloon was visibly sinking; since their departure it had already lost more than 300 feet, and the Senegal was still twelve miles away, and at the pace they were traveling it would take three hours to reach it.
At this time their attention was attracted by renewed yells. The Talibas were pressing their horses forward. The doctor consulted the barometer and perceived the cause of these cries.
"We are descending," said Kennedy.
"Yes!" replied Ferguson.
"The devil!" said Joe.
In about a quarter of an hour the car was not more than 150 feet from the ground, but the wind was blowing more strongly now.
The Talibas spurred their horses, and soon a volley of musketry rent the air.
"Too far, you idiots!" cried Joe. "We had better keep those scamps at arm's length," and taking aim, he fired. One of the Talibas rolled on the ground; his companions pulled up, and the "Victoria" thus gained a little.
"They are prudent," said Kennedy.
"Because they believe themselves sure of us," said the doctor, "and they will succeed if we descend any lower. We must absolutely ascend."
"What is there to be thrown over?" asked Joe.
"All the pemmican that is left. We can thus get rid of 30 lbs. weight."
"There; it is gone, sir," said Joe.
The car, which had been almost touching the ground, ascended again amid the cries of the Talibas; but, half an hour later, the "Victoria" redescended rapidly—the gas pouring from the folds of the silk. The car soon touched the ground; the adherents of Al-Hadji hastened towards it; but, as happened before, scarcely had it touched the earth when the "Victoria" bounded about a mile farther on.
"We shall not escape after all!" cried Kennedy in a rage.
"Throw out the brandy, Joe," cried the doctor; "and the instruments—everything of any weight, and our last anchor. We must do it."
Joe threw away the barometers and thermometers, but these were not much, and the balloon, which had gone up for an instant, soon fell to earth again. The Talibas came flying after it, and were not 200 yards distant now.
"Throw away two of the guns," said the doctor.
"Not until I have discharged them, at least," replied Kennedy.
Four successive shots pierced the crowd of horsemen—four Talibas fell amid the frantic raging of the troop.
The "Victoria" ascended once more, it bounded immense distances, like a great india-rubber ball. A strange sight was that of these unfortunate men seeking to escape by means of these gigantic leaps, and the balloon, Antæus-like, seemed to derive new strength each time it touched the earth. But the end must come. It was nearly noon. The "Victoria" shuddered and collapsed; the envelope became "flabby" and loose; the plaits of the taffetas distended, rubbing against each other.
"Heaven has abandoned us," said Kennedy. "We must fall."
Joe did not reply—he looked at his master.
"No!" said the latter, "we have still 150 lbs. to throw away."
"What next?" cried Kennedy, thinking the doctor had lost his senses.
"The car," said Ferguson. "We must lash ourselves to the netting, we can hold on to the meshes, and thus reach the river. Quick, quick!"
And these resolute men did not hesitate to seize such a chance of safety. They suspended themselves to the meshes, as the doctor had suggested, and Joe, holding by one hand, with the other cut the cords that fastened the car; it fell at the moment the balloon was definitely lost.
"Hurrah, hurrah!" he cried, as the balloon rose again 300 feet into the air.
The Talibas spurred their horses to full speed, but the "Victoria" encountering a stronger breeze, left them behind, and sailed rapidly away towards a hill which bounded the horizon in the west. This was a very favorable circumstance for the travelers, as they could pass over it, while the band of Al-Hadji would be obliged to take a détour towards the north to get round it.
The three friends held tightly to the netting, they had tied it beneath their feet, and so it formed a resting-place.
After having cleared the hill, the doctor suddenly exclaimed, "The river, the Senegal!"
There, at two miles' distance, was the river rolling along in its wide bed. The opposite bank, low and fertile, offered a safe retreat and a convenient spot upon which to descend.
"In another quarter of an hour we shall be saved," cried Ferguson.
But it was not to be. The empty balloon fell by degrees upon a spot almost denuded of vegetation. There were long slopes and stony plains, a few bushes, and thick grass, dried up by the heat of the sun.
The "Victoria" touched the ground many times, and rebounded, but less and less each time. At last it caught by the upper part of the net to the high branches of a baobab—an isolated tree in the midst of this desert region.
"It is all over," said Kennedy.
"And within a hundred paces of the river," said Joe.
The three unfortunate travelers descended, and the doctor dragged his two companions to the Senegal.
At this moment they heard a long sullen roar proceeding from the direction of the river, and when they reached the bank Ferguson recognized the cataracts of Gouina. Not a boat upon the river—not a living being to be seen.
The Senegal, 2,000 feet wide, fell here a height of 150 feet with a sonorous roar. It flowed from east to west, and the line of rocks that barred its course stretched from north to south. In the midst of the fall the rocks assumed strange forms, like some antediluvian animals petrified in the midst of the water.
The utter impracticability of this gulf was evident. Kennedy could not restrain a gesture of despair.
But Doctor Ferguson with his old energy cried out, "All is not yet lost!"
"I know that well," replied Joe, with that confidence in his master that never deserted him.
The sight of the dry grass had inspired the doctor with a bold idea. It was the only chance of safety. He drew his companions rapidly towards the balloon.
"We are at least an hour ahead of those robbers," he said; "let us lose no time, my friends; collect a quantity of this dry grass, at least 100 lbs. weight."
"For what purpose?" asked Kennedy.
"I have no more gas, so I will cross the river by means of hot air."
"Ah! my brave Samuel," cried Kennedy, "you are indeed a great man."
Kennedy and Joe set to work, and soon an enormous heap of grass was collected close to the tree. Meantime the doctor had enlarged the opening at the lower part of the balloon and had taken care to let all the hydrogen escape by the valve; he then piled some of the dry grass under the envelope and set fire to it.
A short time suffices to dilate a balloon with hot air; a heat of 180° is sufficient to diminish the weight of the air one-half by rarefaction, so the "Victoria" soon began to reassume her rounded appearance. There was no lack of grass, the fire was kept up by the doctor, and the balloon swelled visibly.
It was then a quarter to 1 P. M.
At this moment, two miles to the north, the Talibas reappeared; their cries and the galloping of their horses were distinctly heard.
"In twenty minutes they will be here," said Kennedy.
"More grass, Joe! more grass! In ten minutes we shall be high in the air."
"There is the grass, sir."
The "Victoria" was two-thirds filled.
"My friends, hold on to the netting as before."
"All right," said Kennedy.
In about ten minutes some lunges of the balloon gave indication that she would soon be off.
The Talibas approached, they were scarcely 500 paces distant.
"Hold tight," cried Ferguson.
"Never fear," said his companions.
The doctor's feet pushed more grass into the fire. The balloon, completely filled by the increase of temperature, rose up, brushing the branches of the baobab as it went.
"We're off!" cried Joe.
A volley of musketry was the reply, one bullet even grazed Joe's shoulder; but Kennedy, holding by one hand, discharged his rifle with the other, and an enemy fell.
Cries of rage, impossible to describe, accompanied the ascent; the balloon rose to nearly 800 feet. A rapid wind then seized it, and it oscillated dangerously, while the brave doctor and his friends were obliged to contemplate the cataracts opening beneath them.
Ten minutes afterwards, not a word having been exchanged in the interval, the intrepid travelers descended gradually towards the other bank of the river.
There, surprised and alarmed, stood a group of men wearing the French uniform. Their astonishment may be guessed when they saw a balloon rising from the opposite bank of the river. They fancied it a miracle. But their officers, a lieutenant of marines, and a second lieutenant, were aware, from the accounts in the European papers, of the bold attempt of Doctor Ferguson, and they told the facts to their companions.
The balloon collapsed by degrees, and was falling with the brave travelers holding to the netting, they were doubting whether they should ever reach land, when the Frenchmen rushed into the river and received the three Englishmen in their arms at the moment when the "Victoria" sank at some distance from the bank.
"Doctor Ferguson?" cried the lieutenant.
"The same," replied the doctor, quietly, "and his two friends."
The Frenchmen carried the travelers to the bank, while the balloon, still slightly inflated, was borne by the rapid current, like an immense ball, over the cataracts of the Gouina.
"Poor 'Victoria!'" said Joe.
The doctor could not repress a tear. He opened his arms, and he and his friends embraced each other, under the influence of the emotion which affected them all.